If we haven’t had a chance to meet yet, I wanted to take this chance to introduce myself.
My name is Rebekah Whilden, and I’m excited to be joining Carolina Forward as our organization’s first full-time executive director.
A little about me: I was born in Eastern North Carolina, grew up in Asheville, went to college in Boone, and currently live in Charlotte with my two dogs, Willow and Sonny, and husband. For over a decade, I’ve worked in mission-driven roles in the progressive movement, and I’m proud to be a part of Carolina Forward at this critical moment.
My journey started in my home of Western North Carolina, where I organized local stakeholders and empowered volunteers to successfully close a coal power plant in Asheville. From there, I gained experience working on multiple political campaigns for pro-choice women and progressive champions.
I also come to this work with significant experience in organizing, change leadership, and non-profit management. As the only full-time staff member for an environmental organization in Washington, DC, I successfully co-led two coalitions to get big money out of politics through public financing legislation and to pass one of the country’s most aggressive and impactful clean energy bills to date, establishing the District of Columbia as a global leader in the fight against climate change. Most recently, I worked on national clean transportation and smart growth initiatives at the Sierra Club, where I collaborated with states to urge their decision-makers to be better environmental champions.
I’m also no stranger to doing civic work in my community, serving on boards and commissions that do the behind-the-scenes work to help our local governments run effectively and to train the next generation of changemakers.
I’m looking forward to bringing these same skills and values to Carolina Forward as we work together to strengthen our democracy and fight back against the forces working to erode trust in our institutions, in our communities, and in one another.
I hope you’ll join me on this journey. Click here to support our work today
